Golf form sighting and guiding device



July 27, 1965 J. c. ARENA I GOLF FORM SIGHTING AND GUIDING DEVICE s Sheets-Shet 1 Filed May 29, 1962 INVENTOR JOSEPH C. ARENA y 6 I J1 c. ARENA I 3,197,209

GQLF Pom smnrme AND GUIDING DEVICE Filed ma 29. 1962 -s Sheets-Sheet 2 'IIIIIIII(IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIJ July 27, 1965 J. c. ARENA 3,197,209

I GOLF FORM SIGHTING AND GUIDING DEVICE Filed May 29, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet s INVENTOR J 0.! 5 PH C APE/V4 ATTORNEYS United States Patent G6 F Ffidhil SiGl-YHYG AND GUEE TNG DEVTQE .loseph (I. Arena, 541 Astor St, Norristown, Filed May 29, 1%2, der. No. 193,549

3 Claims. ((1273-1839 The present invention relates to a golf form device for aiding the golfer in hitting a golf ball using the irons.

A purpose of the invention is to provide a. form for guiding the swing of a golfer.

A further purpose is to provide a golf form which is light, easy to assemble and disassemble, and easy to a just.

A further purpose is to provide a golf form which guides but does not restrain the golfer.

A further purpose is to provide a golf form which can be used on the backswing or the follow through in an iron shot.

A further purpose is to provide a golf form device which can easily be displaced without injury to the golfer.

Further purposes appear in the specification and in the claims.

In the drawings, I have chosen to illustrate a few only of the numerous embodiments in which my invention may appear, selecting the forms shown from the standpoints of convenience in illustration, satisfactory operation and clear demonstration of the principles involved.

FIGURE 1 is a front elevation of the golf form of the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a right side elevation of the form of FIGURE 1.

IGURE 3 is a section taken on the line 33 of FIG- URE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a section taken on the line 2-4 of FIG- URE 1.

FIGURE 5 is a section taken on the line 5-5 of FIG- URE 4.

FIGURES 6 through 8 are perspective views showing the device in use during the backswing of a golfer.

FEGURE 6 is a perspective view of a golfer addressing the ball.

FIGURE 7 is a perspective view of a golfer at a mi position in the backswing.

FIGURE 8 is a perspective View of a golfer at the extreme position in the backswing.

FIGURES 9 and 10 show a golfer engaged in a follow through using the device of the invention.

FIGURE 9 is a perspective View showing the golfer at a position midway through the follow through.

FIGURE 10 is a perspective view of a golfer at the extreme position in his follow through.

The form of the golfer before, during and after hitting the ball is of extreme importance in order to achieve satisfactory results, It is well known that it is of particular importance to have the upper part of the body including the head keep a relative stable position during the backswing, the actual hitting and the follow through after the golf ball has been hit. This form is in many instances a somewhat unnatural form and it is necessary to guide the player through a considerable number of swings so that the form becomes more natural. In the prior art, the golfer has either been mentally burdened with numerous instructions which he tried to keep in mind, or he was physically restrained and forced through the swing by complicated restraint devices. Both of these expedients often hindered rather than aided the golfer, since they destroyed the important elements of relaxation, concentration and confidence.

The present invention is for iron shots and is concerned with a guide rather than a restraint. A reference position is established about the head, shoulders and arms ice of the golfer without interfering in any way with his swing. The reference guides may be readily displaced if the swing is incorrect without injuring the golfer so there is no mental restraint which would cause the golfer to shrink from swing confidently in the correct position. The device serves to comfortably invite the golfer into a correct position rather than forcibly restrain him.

The golfer is perfectly free to swing, with the device of the invention serving to provide a reference position for his movements. Furthermore, the guide is. so constructed so that it is natural for the golfer to adhere to the line set by the guide. Furthermore, when the guide is removed, the golfer can continue to improve his form with the mental image of the guide existing in position.

Referring to the drawings, I show in FIGURE 1 a base 2%) having embedded therein a tee-lil'e construction 21 of, for instance, a textile brush of Tampico or other crude fiber. Suitably attached to the base Ztl is an L shaped member 22 which is attached at its lower portion 23 as, for instance, by bolts 24. Member 22 has a horizontal portion 25 and a vertical poition as which has at its upper end a pivot 27. A straight member zd pivoting on member 22 at 27 can be angularly fixed to member 22. by tightening hand wheel 31 which engages threaded stud 3% At the other end of straight member 2% remote from end 33 is located a pivot 32. The pivot 32 supports tubular member 33 which is selectively fixed to pivot 32 by hand wheel 3 hearing threaded stud 35 threaded through the members 33 and 28 at pivot 32,.

An offset portion having a telescoping element 37 engages and is supported by member 35. Telescoping element 37 telescopes with member 33 as shown in FlGURES 1, 2 and 4 and is adjustably clamped to member 33 by clamp 38, best seen in FIGURES 4 and 5. Tubular member 33 has a slot ill to allow tubular member 33 to be adjustably compressed and expanded. Clamp 38 is of U cross section and is fixed to tubular member 33 at loca tion 41 as by welding at 42. The arms of the U have aligned holes and 4 Hole 43 has tapped threads and receives bolt which engages these threads. Bolt 45 has sufficient clearance in passing through hole 44 to avoid contact at the circumference. Bolt 45 has an integral flange 4-6 which engages leg 47 of clamp 33.

An abutment is integrally connected to flange 4-5 and forms a thumb screw 49 adapted to be operated by the thumb and fingers for tightening and loosening.

Ofiset portion 36 is bent at St) to form leg 51 at right angles to the telescoping element 37. This leg 5'1 can be suitably of, for instance, one foot in length, but can be of any length desirable for a specific golfer.

The offset portion is then bent along an arc 52 to a direction at right angles to the direction of leg 51. The offset portion 36 has a base 53 and a diagonal portion as at suitably an angle of 45 degrees with base 53. A leg 55 completes the offset portion 36 and is suitably parallel to the leg 51 and extends to a line which if connected with bend would lie parallel to base 53. The bends of the offset portion 35 are best seen in FEGURE i. it will be seen from FIGURE 2 that the offset portion 3% lies in a flat plane.

In operation, the device of the invention is placed on a driving range or on a golf course at the position from which the ball is going to be hit. The base 20 with its tee-like construction 21 is laid flat and a ball or simulated ball is placed in position on the fiber. The device of the invention is then positioned for the golfer by himself, or by another, as he is addressing the ball as shown in FIG- URE 6. If the golfer himself is going to adjust the device, it will be necessary for him to alternately address the ball and then adjust the device.

To properly adjust the device, the player should assume the position of FIGURE 6 which is a well known golf position wherein the feet are apart and are square to the intended line of flight of the ball. The shoulder or shoulder neck portion of the player is placed against the base 53 of the golf form at 56. The offset portion 36 is sufiicient so that the center line of the telescoping portion 37 and tubular member 33 would encounter the ball as it rests on the brush 21. The offset portion 36 itself has been adjusted so that the head of the player is midway between leg 51 and leg 55 so that point of contact 56 is approximately midway between legs 51 and 55. This position of the golf form is achieved by manipulating the pivots 32 and 27 and then tightening hand wheels 31 and 34 to frictionally hold these positions.

Clamp 38 is adjusted by tightening thumb screw 49 so that the offset portion 36 is located in its proper position.

It will be seen that the gooseneclr which is formed by sections 25, 26 and 28 is resilient but frictionally tight so that it will maintain any position set.

The leg 51 in the oifset 36 is sumcient for any adult shoulder displacement so that the line of sight of the player to the ball can be above the center line of telescoping elements 33 and 37.

In FIGURE 6, the player has completed adjusting the device by pulling the apparatus toward him until the telescoping elements 37 and 33 are in line with the ball and the base 53 touches the right shoulder of the player at 56. The elements 37 and 33 have been adjusted and then tightened at thumb screw 43 so that the leg 51. is near the vicinity of the players elbow.

Referring to FIGURE 7, the player has pivoted within the space provided by the offset portion 36 during the baclrswing. If the player is not pivoting correctly, he will displace the device but if he is pivoting correctly, he will not displace the device but will barely approach it within the inside of his left elbow.

In FIGURE 8 the player has his arms at the top of the backswing and is about to begin the forward swing. The biceps are just brushing against base 53, but the swing is not hampered in any Way if it is being correctly made.

The foreswing is then completed in a normal manner and the player is ready to study the result, correct, and repeat as necessary. If the device has been violently displaced, then the player is warned that he has done something wrong and his swing is analyzed to correct the mistake.

The device can also be used to study the follow through of any iron shot as shown in FIGURES 9 and 10. The offset portion 36 is rotated about the longitudinal axis of the element 37 to a position 180 degrees removed from its previous position used for the backswing. Clamp 38 is then tightened by means of tightening thumb screw 49. In FIGURE 9, the player is just brushing against the form partially through the completion of the swing. FIGURE 10 shows the completed swing with the arms being guided by the diagonal portion 54 of the offset 36. It should be understood that in FIGURES 9 and 10, the diagonal portion 54 and the offset portion 55, although hidden by the players head in these views, act as an upper frame of reference to keep the players head 4i properly positioned. If the player is properly set at the top of his backswing, the leg 55 should be exactly in prolongation or parallel with the flight of the ball.

In View of my invention and disclosure, variations and modifications to meet individual whim or particular need will doubtless become evident to others skilled in the art, to obtain all or part of the benefits of my invention without copying the structure shown, and I, therefore, claim all such insofar as they fall within the reasonable spirit and scope of my claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a golf form device:

(a) a base;

(b) tee means on the base for supporting a golf ball;

(c) a first straight tubular segment;

(d) adjustable support means on the base for adjustably supporting the straight tubular segment in an inclined direction and spaced from the tee means so that the prolongation of the longitudinal axis of the straight tubular segment passes generally through the tee means;

(e) said support means providing clearance for the head of a golf club during a swing by a golfer to strike a golf ball supported on the tee means;

(f) and guide means on the upper end of said straight tubular segment for establishing a generally rectangular frame of reference for quiding the upper portion of the body of a golfer,

said guide means comprising a first segment fixed to and extending laterally from the first straight tubular segment for establishing the lower limit of said frame of reference,

a second strai ht segment extending upward from said horizontal segment and generally parallel to said first straight tubular segment for establishing a side limit for said frame of reference,

and an upper segment connected to said second segment and terminating generally in the area of the prolongation of the longitudinal axis of the said first segment,

wherein said horizontal, second straight, and upper segments are adapted to be positioned in a single inclined plane and guide the golfer in his swing.

2. A device of claim 1, wherein the adjustable support means comprises a gooseneclr connection.

3. A device of claim 1, wherein the straight tubular segment is telescopically and rotably adjustable.

References Qited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,311,495 7/19 Camp 248160 X 2,088,743 8/37 Heckel 248-125 X 2,470,694 5/49 Foo 248-424 X 2,548,650 4/51 Brandt 248-413 2,690,911 10/54 Newgren 273189 FOREIGN PATENTS 27,103 1910 Great Britain. 312,286 8/30 Great Britain.

DELBERT B. LOWE, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A GOLF FORM DEVICE: (A) A BASE; (B) A TEE MEANS ON THE BASE FOR SUPPORTING A GOLF BALL; (C) A FIRST STRAIGHE TUBUALR SEGMENT; (D) ADJUSTABLE SUPPORT MEANS ON THE BASE FOR ADJUSTABLY SUPPORTING THE STRAIGHT TUBULAR SEGMENT IN AN INCLINED DIRECTION AND SPACED FROM THE TEE MEANS SO THAT THE PROLONGATION OF THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF THE STRAIGHT TUBULAR SEGMENT PASSES GENERALLY THROUGH THE TEE MEANS; (E) SAID SUPPORT MEANS PROVIDING CLEARANCE FOR THE HEAD OF A GOLF CLUB DURINGF A SWING BY A GOLFER TO STRIKE A GOLF BALL SUPPORTED ON T HE TEE MEANS; (F) AND GUIDE MEANS ON THE UPPER END OF SAID STRAIGHT TUBULAR SEGMENT FOR ESTABLISHING A GENERALLY RECTANGULAR FRAME OF REFERENCE FOR QUIDING T HE UPPER PORTION OF THE BODY OF A GOLFER, SAID GUIDE MEANS COMPRISING A FIRST SEGMENT FIXED TO AND EXTENDING LATERALLY FROM THE FIRST STRAIGHT TUBULAR SEGMENT FOR ESTABLISHING THE LOWER LIMIT OF SAID FRAME OF REFERENCE, A SECOND STRAIGHT SEGMENT EXTENDING UPWARD FROM SAID HORIZONTAL SEGMENT AND GENERALLY PARALLEL TO SAID FIRST STRAIGHT TUBULAR SEGMENT FOR ESTABLISHING A SIDE LIMIT FOR SAID FRAME OF REFERENCE, AND AN UPPER SEGMENT CONNECTED TO SAID SECOND SEGMENT AND TERMINATING GENERALLY IN THE AREA OF THE PROLONGATION OF THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF THE SAID FIRST SEGMENT WHEREIN SAID HORIZONTAL, SECOND STRAIGHT, AND UPPER SEGMENTS ARE ADAPTED TO BE POSITIONED IN A SINGLE INCLINED PLANE AND GUIDE THE GULFER IN HIS SWING. 